Lung cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer
Lung cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer, with more than 20 lakh people diagnosed worldwide each year, and is the leading cause of cancer death globally. And if diagnosed at an earlier stage, patients have a 13 times higher likelihood of living for five years. Smoking is the number one cause of preventable disease and death worldwide.
Key Facts about Smoking:
- Cigarette smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, at least 69 of which are known to cause cancer. Smoking is directly responsible for approximately 90 percent of lung cancer deaths and approximately 80 percent of deaths caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
- Among adults who have ever smoked daily, 78% had smoked their first cigarette by the time they were 18 years of age, and 94% had by age 21.
- Among current smokers, 73% of their diagnosed smoking-related conditions are chronic lung diseases. Even among smokers who have quit, chronic lung disease still accounts for 50% of smoking-related conditions.
- Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body, and is a main cause of lung cancer and COPD. It also is a cause of coronary heart disease, stroke and a host of other cancers and diseases
So, please Quit Smoking…Do not switch…
Some smokers think that e-cigarettes will help them quit, but substituting one
addiction for another is not quitting.
Are you ready to quit? Excellent tips to help you on the path to success:
- Focus on your motivators. Motivation waxes and wanes and this is 100 percent normal. What can you do to increase your motivation when you feel defeated or low?
- Build confidence. Confidence that your attempt will be successful is important! What can you do to increase your confidence levels? Your confidence can increase when you make and achieve a series of small goals, when you visualize your success and when you feel like you have the tools ready for any situation.
- Stress management is key. Many smokers smoke to manage stress, distress, and negative emotions. Being prepared with other ways to manage these feelings can be difficult and takes a lot of practice. What do your non-smoking friends do to manage stress?
- It’s never too late to quit. While it’s best to quit smoking as early as possible, quitting smoking at any age will enhance the length and quality of your life. You’ll also save money and avoid the hassle of going outside in the cold to smoke. You can even inspire those around you to quit smoking!
- Learn from past experiences. Most people who smoke have tried to quit before and sometimes they get discouraged thinking about previous attempts. But these experiences tell us a lot about what to do and what not to do next time! These experiences are steps on the road to future success. Think about what worked for you last time, what didn’t work and what you might do differently this time.
- You don’t have to quit alone. Telling friends and family that you’re trying to quit and enlisting their support will help ease the process. Friends who also smoke may even join you in trying to quit!
